U.S.-led international forces in Afghanistan have been helping to facilitate preliminary contacts in Kabul between President Hamid Karzai’s government and Taliban representatives in move that signals a shift by the U.S. to more active support of Afghan reconciliation efforts. The previously undisclosed Western assistance, described by a senior NATO official in Brussels and a second official, includes safe passage for certain Taliban leaders to Kabul for the talks. Previously, the U.S. military had said that Mr. Karzai’s reconciliation efforts were premature

Tagz: diplomacy, negotiation, peace, reconciliation

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